March 27, 2016

Video: American Holidays - Easter Sunday

Today is Easter Sunday, the Christian festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial after his crucifixion by Romans at Calvary. Watch this video to find out how Easter Sunday is celebrated in the United States.

ACTIVITYCreate your own interactive gapfill activity using the wonderful Gapfill Printable Exercice Generator. Any piece of text (the transcript below, for example) can instantly become an interactive gapfill exercise. Just copy and paste the text into the box, click on 'Quick Random Gaps' or use the automatic gap maker to remove prepositions etc, select a suitable 'Gap word option' and 'Interactive Web page', et voilà - you're good to go!

TRANSCRIPTHi everyone, I'm Alisha. Easter Sunday in the United States is among the most important religious holidays in the nation. There are also secular events held around this holiday and, in some cases, families celebrate traditions other than the Christian one. For Christians, the holiday is centered on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Churches hold special events during Easter weekend. Besides midnight masses on Christmas, Easter services are some of the most popular in churches in the United States. Do you know when many of them hold these services? We’ll show you the answer at the end of this video. Aside from the religious traditions which vary from church to church, Easter Sunday in the United States is celebrated in other ways, as well. Whether or not they happen to be followers of any church, people in the United States are inclined to have family gatherings on this day, and large feasts are usually served. For some people, Easter Sunday is merely a celebration of spring while, for others, it has tremendous religious significance. The most prevalent Easter Sunday tradition involves church services. Some churches hold elaborate parades to celebrate the day and others have less noticeable celebrations. Most churches at least have social events over the Easter holiday, allowing them to spend time with their fellow churchgoers and to socialize. Picnics and other events are also commonly held during this particular holiday. Secular events held during Easter Sunday include Easter egg hunts and other activities for children. These events are open to everyone and don't have any particular religious overtones to them. Community events are often held, as well, simply because the holiday is notable and people tend to want to get together. The Easter Bunny, eggs, flowers, and other symbols are very much associated with spring and are still important traditions for this particular holiday. Because denominations in the United States are so diverse, you'll find many different traditions being celebrated on Easter Sunday. Some traditions involve all-night vigils before the holiday itself. And now here's the answer to the quiz. Do you know when many churches hold Easter services? Services at the break of day are among the most popular church events on Easter Sunday. During these services, Christians come to church in the pre-dawn hours and have their service as the sun rises. For many, these services have a powerful symbolic significance. How was this lesson? Did you learn something interesting? What kind of Easter traditions exist in your country? Please leave a comment at EnglishClass101.com. Until next time!

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Video: American Holidays - Easter Sunday

Today is Easter Sunday, the Christian festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial after his crucifixion by Romans at Calvary. Watch this video to find out how Easter Sunday is celebrated in the United States.

ACTIVITYCreate your own interactive gapfill activity using the wonderful Gapfill Printable Exercice Generator. Any piece of text (the transcript below, for example) can instantly become an interactive gapfill exercise. Just copy and paste the text into the box, click on 'Quick Random Gaps' or use the automatic gap maker to remove prepositions etc, select a suitable 'Gap word option' and 'Interactive Web page', et voilà - you're good to go!

TRANSCRIPTHi everyone, I'm Alisha. Easter Sunday in the United States is among the most important religious holidays in the nation. There are also secular events held around this holiday and, in some cases, families celebrate traditions other than the Christian one. For Christians, the holiday is centered on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Churches hold special events during Easter weekend. Besides midnight masses on Christmas, Easter services are some of the most popular in churches in the United States. Do you know when many of them hold these services? We’ll show you the answer at the end of this video. Aside from the religious traditions which vary from church to church, Easter Sunday in the United States is celebrated in other ways, as well. Whether or not they happen to be followers of any church, people in the United States are inclined to have family gatherings on this day, and large feasts are usually served. For some people, Easter Sunday is merely a celebration of spring while, for others, it has tremendous religious significance. The most prevalent Easter Sunday tradition involves church services. Some churches hold elaborate parades to celebrate the day and others have less noticeable celebrations. Most churches at least have social events over the Easter holiday, allowing them to spend time with their fellow churchgoers and to socialize. Picnics and other events are also commonly held during this particular holiday. Secular events held during Easter Sunday include Easter egg hunts and other activities for children. These events are open to everyone and don't have any particular religious overtones to them. Community events are often held, as well, simply because the holiday is notable and people tend to want to get together. The Easter Bunny, eggs, flowers, and other symbols are very much associated with spring and are still important traditions for this particular holiday. Because denominations in the United States are so diverse, you'll find many different traditions being celebrated on Easter Sunday. Some traditions involve all-night vigils before the holiday itself. And now here's the answer to the quiz. Do you know when many churches hold Easter services? Services at the break of day are among the most popular church events on Easter Sunday. During these services, Christians come to church in the pre-dawn hours and have their service as the sun rises. For many, these services have a powerful symbolic significance. How was this lesson? Did you learn something interesting? What kind of Easter traditions exist in your country? Please leave a comment at EnglishClass101.com. Until next time!